Condo Living 101: 7 Thrift Shops to Visit for Cheap Furniture

The new year – which signifies a fresh start for many – is a good time to redecorate your DMCI Homes condo. Don’t let your budget stop you from buying cool furniture to spice up your home. Take a look at these thrift shops around the metro so you can buy beautiful yet cheap furniture for your condo.

Set up your home office or man cave with Office Busters

Are you a work-at-home employee or a freelancer? Brand-new office items such as desks and chairs can cost a lot. While many stores in the malls offer these, a lot are made with poor quality. If you want to jump start your condo office redecoration, we suggest visiting the nearest Office Busters near you.

It’s a thrift shop that sells surplus office furniture fresh from Japan for an affordable price. You can get long tables, file cabinets, PC desks, and more. There are plenty of branches in the metro, but the easiest to find is the one located in Makati City. It is at 2326 Chino Roces Ave Extension, just beside the showroom of a prominent automotive brand.

Buy artsy vintage decorations at Cubao Expo

Do you have a soft spot for anything vintage? If so, you need to visit Cubao Expo or, as xennials call it, CubaoX. It’s a collective of thrift shops that sell hard to find items from the previous decades. Some of these vintage items can be used for decorations, while others are still in the best condition. If you know your stuff, you can strike a bargain in some of the stores – especially those that sell vintage vinyl records. But for furniture or display items, you might want to prepare a little bit more cash to buy one for your condo.

Although there are many shops, CubaoX is a small area so parking is limited. It’s best to go there early in the afternoon and wait for all the shops to open as the sun goes down. Don’t worry. There are already a few stores and restaurants open by then, so you won’t miss a beat. There are also a few secret shops along the area so make sure to explore as much as you can.

Upgrade the living and dining room with the many thrift stores in Bangkal

If you want to haul as many items as you can carry for your new condo interior design, then Bangkal Street in Makati City is the best bet. It is home to many thrift stores that sell various items ranging from antiques and silverware to clothes and surplus furniture. Name it, it’s probably there if you know where to look.

You can start shopping around 9:00 in the morning, but don’t expect that all the shops are opened by then. Typically, stores open after lunchtime due to the influx of shoppers.

Wow your guests with items from Dapitan Arcade

Do you have an upcoming event at your DMCI Homes unit? Would you want new furniture for cheap prices? Well, Dapitan Arcade is your place. It’s known to have several shops that sell export-quality overruns, which you can buy at an affordable price.

Much like Bangkal, you can buy anything and everything that can be considered as decorations here. There are also tables, wood furniture, leather items, and china. There are even items made out of capiz here. It’s also said that Dapitan Arcade has Christmas decors year-round, but make sure you buy early if you don’t want to catch the price hike come December. If you visit this place, you might want to bring a vehicle that’s large enough to carry your haul home.

Love photography? Drop by Quiapo

Are you a photography fan? Why not visit the mecca of Philippine photography – Hidalgo at Quiapo, Manila. There are several shops there that sell brand new, modern photography equipment and cameras and some that have vintage film cameras for decoration or even for personal use. Or better yet, buy enough equipment and you can build your own home studio.

You can use the items you buy there to decorate your special place in your condo with photography gear. Or if you buy something that’s working, you can take your new camera for a spin at Escolta, which is not far away from Quiapo.

Browse through Bookay-Ukay if you’re building a home library

Aside from thrifting furniture for your condo, you can check out the roadside shop on Maginhawa Street, Quezon City called Bookay-Ukay. They sell books of various genres at very affordable rates. But if you can’t find what you’re looking for there, you can visit their second store called BookFellas. It’s also located in Project 4 in Quezon City. It’s the perfect stop for students and bookworms who want to build their own library in their condo unit.

Don’t have time to shop? Visit these Facebook groups instead

We get that not a lot of people like to brave the traffic and walk under the hot sun even if it’s to buy furniture from thrift shops in Manila. It can take a lot of time and energy to buy a handful of things that you need to bring back to your condo unit. Luckily, there are several places on the Internet wherein you can do your thrift shopping.

For instance, you can check the Facebook marketplace for things that you like. Or you can join these Facebook groups – Declutter Manila and Manila Furniture Buy and Sell. This way, you don’t have to endure the heat, traffic, and dangers of the streets. You do, however, have to be careful of online scammers that ask for payment first before sending you the item. As much as possible, it would be wise to visit the place where the item you like is with someone you trust for safety.

Buying furniture and decorating your condo can be an exciting activity – especially when you have the budget. But if you’re running out of real estate for storage, a garage sale could help you clear up some space just in time for your summer furniture shopping.